Fact 1.3. Let S be an n x n matrix and let r be the rank of S. Then S is conjunctive with a lower triangular matrix whose first Y diagonal entries are nonzero and whose last n - Y columns are zero. Proof (sketch). In view of Fact 1.2 (plus standard permutation and inductive procedures) it suffices to assume that S has zero diagonal and is nonzero. Thus there is a pair j, k of indices with i < k which are such that Sj, and Ski are not both zero. Then, applying to S the [j, k] sub-
conjunctivities defined by